Telephone system having multiple distinct sources and accessories therefor

ABSTRACT

In conjunction with a data communication network carrying multiple telephony signals and allowing for connection of telephone sets, a system and method in which two external feeders connect to the data network at two distinct points via two distinct devices. The data network can be based on dedicated wiring or can use existing in-premises medium such as telephone, powerlines or CATV wiring. In the latter case, the wiring can still carry the original service for which it was installed. The external telephone connections can be based on the traditional PSTN, CATV network, cellular telephone network or any other telephone service provider network, using specific adapter for any medium used. In the case of connection to a POTS telephone signal, VoIP gateway (or any other converter) is required.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/492,411, which isa U.S. National-Phase Application of PCT/IL2004/000178, filed on Feb.24, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of telephony systems within ahouse, used for home, office, enterprise or factory applications,connected to a network.

Telephony, Definitions and Background

The term “telephony” herein denotes in general any kind of telephoneservice, including analog and digital service, such as IntegratedServices Digital Network (ISDN).

Analog telephony, popularly known as “Plain Old Telephone Service”(“POTS”) has been in existence for over 100 years, and is well designedand well-engineered for the transmission and switching of voice signalsin the 3-4 KHz portion (or “voice-band”) of the audio spectrum. Thefamiliar POTS network supports real-time, low-latency, high-reliability,moderate-fidelity voice telephony, and is capable of establishing asession between two end-points, each using an analog telephone set.

The terms “telephone”, “telephone set”, and “telephone device” hereindenote any apparatus, without limitation, which can connect to a Telcooperated Public Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”), including apparatusfor both analog and digital telephony, non-limiting examples of whichare analog telephones, digital telephones, facsimile (“fax”) machines,automatic telephone answering machines, voice modems, and data modems.

The term “network” herein denotes any system that allows multipledevices to send and receive information of any kind, wherein each devicemay be uniquely identified for purposes of sending and receivinginformation. Networks include, but are not limited to, data networks,control networks, cable networks, and telephone networks. A networkaccording to the present invention can be a local area network (LAN) orpart of a wide-area network, including the Internet.

Telephone System

FIG. 1 shows a typical telephone system installation in a house. TheFigure shows a network 10 for a residence or other building, wired witha telephone line 14, which has a single wire pair that connects to ajunction-box (not shown), which in turn connects to a Public SwitchedTelephone Network (PSTN) 11 via a cable (‘local loop’) 15 a, terminatingin a public switch, which establishes and enables telephony from onetelephone to another. A plurality of telephones 13 a and 13 b mayconnect to telephone lines 14 via a plurality of telephone outlets 12 aand 12 b. Each outlet has a connector (often referred to as a “jack”),commonly being in the form of RJ-11 connectors in North-America. Eachoutlet may be connected to a telephone unit via a compatible “plug”connector that inserts into the jack.

Wiring 14 is normally based on a serial or “daisy-chained” topology,wherein the wiring is connected from one outlet to the next in a linearmanner; but other topologies such as star, tree, or any arbitrarytopology may also be used. Regardless of the topology, however, thetelephone wiring system within a residence always uses wired medium: twoor four copper wires terminating in one or more outlets which providedirect access to these wires for connecting to telephone sets.

Outlets

The term “outlet” herein denotes an electro-mechanical device thatfacilitates easy, rapid connection and disconnection of external devicesto and from wiring installed within a building. An outlet commonly has afixed connection to the wiring, and permits the easy connection ofexternal devices as desired, commonly by means of an integratedconnector in a faceplate. The outlet is normally mechanically attachedto, or mounted in, a wall. Non-limiting examples of common outletsinclude: telephone outlets for connecting telephones and relateddevices; outlets used as part of ‘structured wiring’ infrastructure(e.g. for Ethernet based network), telephone outlets for connectingtelephone sets to the PSTN, CATV outlets for connecting television sets,VCR's, and the like; and electrical outlets for connecting power toelectrical appliances. An outlet as used herein, can also be a devicecomposed of a part that has a fixed connection to the wiring and ismechanically attached to, or mounted in, a wall, and a part that isremovably mechanically attached and electrically connected to thefirst-mentioned part, i.e. a device in which the first part is a jack orconnector used for both electrical connection and mechanical attachment.The term “wall” herein denotes any interior or exterior surface of abuilding, including, but not limited to, ceilings and floors, inaddition to vertical walls.

Telephone installation in recently built residential houses and commonin offices is shown in FIG. 2, allowing for external multi-telephonelines connection and for various switching functionalities (e.g.intercom). The installation 20 is based on ‘star’ topology and employingPBX 12, having multiple telephone ports. Telephones 17 a, 17 b, 17 c and17 d are each distinctly connected to a different PBX 12 ports viaconnections 21 a, 21 b, 21 c and 21 d respectively. The PBX 12 alsoprovides three ports for incoming telephone lines 15 a, 15 b and 15 coriginated in the PSTN 11.

POTS Multiplexer

Typically each POTS telephone connection requires an independent wirepair. In the case wherein multiple telephone lines are carried betweentwo points, many wire pairs are thus required. In order to allow forcarrying multiple telephone services over several copper pairs, a POTSmultiplexer system is commonly used (also known as DLC—digital LoopCarrier). Basically, the telephony signals are carried in digitized andmultiplexed form over a cable comprising one or two wire pairs. Such asystem is shown in FIG. 3, describing POTS multiplexer system 30 basedon exchange side mux/demux 33 and customer side mux/demux 34, connectedby two wires 32 a and 32 b. Telephone lines 31 a, 31 b, 31 c and 31 dfrom the PSTN 11 are connected to the exchange side mux/demux 33,wherein the incoming signals are digitized and multiplexed (commonlytime multiplexed TDM, such as E1 or T1 systems), and transmitted overthe wire pair 32 to the customer side mux/demux 34. The digitizedtelephony signals are demultiplexed and restored as analog POTS form,and fed to the respective telephone sets 17 a, 17 b, 17 c and 17 d vialinks 35 a, 35 b, 35 c and 35 d respectively, connected to theappropriate customer side mux/demux 34. The process is simultaneouslyapplied in the telephone sets to PSTN direction, hence supporting fulltelephone service. WO 97/19533 to Depue teaches an example of such POTSmultiplexer. Commonly, such prior art systems do not provide anyswitching functionality, and are mainly used for carrying multipletelephone signals from one point to another remote point. As such,cabling 35 is required from each telephone set 17 to the relevant portof customer side unit 34. Similarly, WO 01/28215 to Bullock et al.teaches a POTS multiplexer over power-lines.

WO 01/80595 to the same inventor of this application teaches a systemallowing for reduced cabling requirements. The system 40 shown in FIG. 4is based on ‘distributed’ customer side mux/demux 34. A PBX/MUX 12connects to the PSTN 11 for multiple incoming telephone lines 15 a, 15 band 15 c, similar to the function of the exchange side mux/demux 33 ofsystem 30. However, as a substitute to the single customer sidemux/demux 34 multiple mux units 41 are provided. Telephone sets 17 a, 17b and 17 c are respectively coupled to mux units 41 a, 41 b and 41 c.The mux units 41 a, 41 b, 41 c and PBX/MUX 12 digitally communicate witheach other, allowing each telephone set to connect to any of theincoming lines 15 or to another telephone set for intercom function. Insuch a way, there is no need to route new cable from each telephone setto a central place, but rather to a nearby mux unit 41.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Recently, a solution for combining both telephony and datacommunications into a single network is offered by theVoice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) approach. In this technique,telephone signals are digitized and carried as data across the LAN. Suchsystems are known in the art, and an example of such a system 50 isshown in FIG. 5. The system 50 is based on a Local Area Network (LAN) 53environment, commonly using Ethernet IEEE802.3 standard interfaces andstructure. The LAN can be used to interconnect computers (not shown) aswell as other end-units, as well as IP telephone sets 54 a, 54 b and 54c shown. An example of IP telephone set 54 is Voice Service IP-Phonemodel DPH-100M/H from D-Link Systems, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., USA.IP-PBX unit 52 is also connected to the LAN and manages the voice datarouting in the system. Many routing protocols are available, such asIETF RFC 3261SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), ITU-T H.323 and IETF RFC2705 MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol). Examples of such a SIP basedIP-PBX 52 is ICP (integrated Communication Platform) Model 3050 fromMitel Networks of Ottawa, Ontario Canada. Connection to the PSTN 11 ismade via VoIP Gateway 55 a, operative to convert an incoming analog POTStelephone signal to a digital and IP packet based protocol used over theLAN. An example of such VoIP Gateway 55 supporting four PSTN lines isMediaPack™ Series MP-104/FXO of AudioCodes Ltd. In Yehud, Israel. Such asystem 50 allows for full telephone connectivity similar to performanceof POTS PBX-based system (such as in FIG. 2). In most cases, such anetwork allows also for data networking (non-voice traffic), such ascomputers and peripherals, and connection to the Internet.

A VoIP MTA (Multimedia Terminal Adapter) is also known in the art,operative to convert IP protocol carrying telephony signals into POTStelephone set interface. Examples of such a VoIP MTA supporting fourPOTS telephone sets are MediaPack™ Series MP-104/FXS of AudioCodes Ltd.In Yehud, Israel and two-ports Voice Service Gateway model DVG-1120 fromD-Link® Systems, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., USA. A system 60 shown in FIG.6 demonstrates the use of such VoIP MTAs 64. The system 60 is identicalto system 50, except for replacing the IP phones 54 b and 54 c with POTStelephone sets 17 a and 17 b. In order to enable the usage of thesetelephone sets 17 a and 17 b, respective VoIP MTAs 64 a and 64 b areadded as the mediation devices between the analog telephony and the IPtelephony. The addition of MTAs 64 allows for the same basic systemfunctionality, although POTS telephones 17 are used rather than IPtelephones 54. The combination of telephone set 17 connected to VoIP MTA64 allows connection to an IP network, in the same manner that the IPtelephone 54 is connected thereto, and providing similar functionality.EP 0824298 to Harper teaches an example a network conforming to such asystem.

An example of the system 60 based on IP/Ethernet (IEEE802.3) LAN asinternal network 53 is shown in FIG. 7 as system 70. The LAN comprises aswitch 71 as a multi-port concentrating device in a ‘star’ topologywiring structure. It is understood that any type of device havingmultiple network interfaces and supporting a suitable connectivity canbe used, non-limiting examples of which include a shared hub, switch(switched hub), router, and gateway. Hence, the term “switch” usedherein denotes any such device. An example of the switch 71 isDSS-8+Dual-Speed 8-Port Desktop Switch from D-Link Systems, Inc. ofIrvine, Calif., USA, having 8 ports. The network 70 comprises adedicated cabling 73, such as Category 5 ‘Structured Wiring’. Such anetwork commonly uses 10BaseT or 100BaseTX Ethernet IEEE802.3 interfacesand topology. In such a network, outlets 72 a, 72 b and 72 c areconnected to the switch 71 via respective cables 73 a, 73 b and 73 c.POTS Telephone sets 17 a and 17 b are connected via respective VoIP MTAs64 a and 64 b to the respective outlets 72 a and 72 b, using connections74 a and 74 b respectively. IP Telephone 54 a connects directly (withoutVoIP MTA) via a connection 74 c to the outlet 72 c, which connects to aport in the switch 71 via cable 73 c. The internal network connects toPSTN 11 via VoIP gateway 55 a connected to another port of the switch71, and IP-PBX 52 connects to another port of switch 71. Such a networkallows for the telephones 17 a, 17 b and 54 a to interconnect and alsoto connect to the external PSTN 11.

Home Networks

Implementing a network 70 in existing buildings typically requiresinstallation of new wiring infrastructure 73. Such installation of newwiring may be impractical, expensive and hassle-oriented. As a result,many technologies (referred to as “no new wires” technologies) have beenproposed in order to facilitate a LAN in a building without adding newwiring. Some of these techniques use existing wiring used also for otherpurposes such as telephone, electricity, cable television, and so forth.Doing so offers the advantage of being able to install such systems andnetworks without the additional and often substantial cost of installingseparate wiring within the building. In order to facilitate multiple useof wiring within a building, specialized outlets are sometimesinstalled, which allow access to the wiring for multiple purposes. Anexample of home networking over coaxial cables using outlets isdescribed in WO 02/065229 published 22 Aug. 2002 entitled: ‘CableranNetworking over Coaxial Cables’ to Cohen et al.

Other ‘no new wire’ technologies employ non-wired media. Some useInfrared as the communication medium, while others use radio frequencycommunication, such as IEEE802.11 and BlueTooth.

An example of a network 60 in a house based on using powerline-basedhome network implementing network 53 is shown as network 80 in FIG. 8.The medium for networking is the in-house power lines 81, which are usedfor carrying both the mains power and the data communication signals.For the sake of simplicity, the power related functions are not shown inthe Figure. A PLC modem 82 converts data communication interface (suchas Ethernet IEEE802.3) to a signal which can be carried over the powerlines, without affecting and being affected by the power signalavailable over those wires. An example of such PLC modem 82 isHomePlug1.0 based Ethernet-to-Powerline Bridge model DHP-100 from D-LinkSystems, Inc. of Irvine, Calif., USA. D-Link is a registered trademarkof D-Link Systems, Inc. PLCs 82 a, 82 b, 82 c, 82 d and 82 e are allconnected to the powerline 81 via the respective power outlets 88 a, 88b, 88 c, 88 d and 88 e, forming a local area network over the powerlineallowing for data networking for the units connected thereto. Theconnection is commonly effected by a cord connected to a power outletbeing part of the power line medium 81. Such a network 80 allows for theIP-PBX 52, PSTN 11 via VoIP gateway 55 a, telephones 17 a and 17 b viathe respective VoIP MTAs 64 a and 64 b and IP telephone 54 a tocommunicate with each other, as well as to share external connection tothe PSTN 11, as was offered by network 70. However, no additional anddedicated wiring is required.

Another home network medium may be the telephone wiring. It is oftendesirable to use existing telephone wiring simultaneously for bothtelephony and data networking. In this way, establishing a new localarea network in a home or other building is simplified, because there isno need to install additional wiring.

The PLC modem 82 uses the well-known technique of frequencydomain/division multiplexing (FDM), and provides means for splitting thebandwidth carried by a wire into a low-frequency band capable ofcarrying an analog telephony signal and a high-frequency band capable ofcarrying data communication or other signals. Examples of relevantprior-art in this field are the technology commonly known as HomePNA(Home Phoneline Networking Alliance), WO 99/12330 to Foley and asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,443 to Dichter (hereinafter referred toas “Dichter”). Dichter and others suggest a method and apparatus forapplying a frequency domain/division multiplexing (FDM) technique forresidential telephone wiring, enabling the simultaneous carrying oftelephony and data communication signals. The available bandwidth overthe wiring is split into a low-frequency band capable of carrying ananalog telephony signal and the ADSL signals, and a high-frequency bandcapable of carrying home network communication signals. In such amechanism, telephony and ADSL are not affected, while a home networkingcommunication capability is provided over existing telephone wiringwithin a house.

WO 01/71980 published Sep. 27, 2001 entitled “Telephone Outlet andSystem for a Local Area Network Over Telephone Lines” and WO 03/005691published Jan. 16, 2003 entitled “Telephone outlet with packet telephonyadapter, and a network using same” both in the name the present inventorand assigned to the present assignee, and which are incorporated byreference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein, describe homenetworking over telephone wiring, based on outlets, which allows forconducting of digital telephony data as well as POTS and ADSL signalsover in-house telephony wiring. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,893 toWhittaker et al. teaches an IP-based telephony network based ontelephone wiring.

Many of the above figures and networks involve external connection tothe PSTN to provide telephony services over telephone-dedicated wiringand owned by a telephone company. However, there are today multipletechnologies for connecting premises to external telephone services,both terrestrial and via the air:

1. Cable television cabling, mostly coaxial cable based, used fordelivering video channels, as well as broadband data and telephony tothe house.

2. Satellite communication.

3. Power lines communication, wherein the power lines carrying power tothe house are also used for data communication.

4. Wireless communications using radio frequency such as cellular, LMDSand many other wireless technologies.

5. Fiber, such as Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) or other similartechnologies.

The availability of plural telephone service providers, each using adifferent access medium, allows for a house dweller, for example, tohave multiple telephone lines from different providers. For example, atelephone line may be available from the CATV provider, added to thetraditional telco oriented telephone line.

Common to all above prior art systems, the incoming telephone lines intothe house are connected to a single unit: PBX 12 of system 20 in FIG. 2,exchange side mux/demux 33 of system 30 in FIG. 3, PBX/MUX 12 of system40 in FIG. 4 and VoIP gateway 55 a of systems 50 and 60 in FIGS. 5 and6, respectively. However, the additional telephone line, for examplefrom the CATV provider, may be available in a distinctly differentplace. An example of system 20 modified to support both telco (PSTN) andCATV originated telephone lines is shown as system 90 in FIG. 9. Inaddition to connections to the PSTN 11, an incoming telephone line fromCATV network 91 via VoIP gateway 55 b is shown. Typically the VoIPgateway is integrated into a cable-modem or set-top-box, and connects tothe CATV network 91 via a CATV outlet, connecting to the coaxial cablewiring installation. Since in most cases the VoIP gateway 55 b is notlocated near the PBX 12, there is a need to install new cable 92 fromthe VoIP gateway 55 b to a port in the PBX 12. Such installation isexpensive, time consuming and not aesthetic.

There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highlyadvantageous to have, a method and system for allowing easy and minimumcabling structure for sharing the telephony service from multiplesources or being fed at distinct locations. This goal is met by thepresent invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention discloses a data communication network carrying digitizedtelephone signals, such as VoIP based network. Digital telephones (suchas IP telephones in VoIP environment) can be coupled to the network, aswell as POTS telephone sets via respective adapters (e.g. VoIP MTA). Thenetwork is coupled to multiple telephone services, each connected to adistinct point in the network. For example, in case of wired network,the services may be coupled to different places of the wiring medium.Similarly, the services can be coupled to different devices in thenetwork. The telephone service signal is either of digital type and thusdirectly connected to the data network, or of POTS analog type,requiring respective adapter (e.g. VoIP gateway). A routing means (e.g.IP-PBX) provides the required routing of the digitized telephone signalbetween all telephone related equipment connected to the network:telephone sets and telephone services.

The data network may use either dedicated wiring (such as in Ethernet‘structured wiring’ systems) or wiring used for other services, such astelephone, CATV or power carrying pair. The network comprises modems forcommunicating over the wiring medium. The access to the network wiringmay use outlets. The telephone services may use different media such asPSTN, CATV, wireless or cellular telephone networks.

The invention further describes an apparatus for coupling a telephoneservice to the data network. Such apparatus comprises a modem for datacommunication over the network medium. In the case of coupling to analogbased telephone service, the apparatus may also comprise a VoIP gatewayfor converting the analog telephone service signal to digital. Theapparatus may also comprise a multi port connectivity device allowingfor data unit (or digital telephone) to access the network by sharingthe same modem. The apparatus may further comprise an adapter forconnecting POTS telephone set to the network via the apparatus. Inanother embodiment the apparatus comprises a routing means. In the casewherein the network medium also carries another service (such as POTStelephony, CATV or power), the apparatus may comprise a servicededicated means to separate the service signal from the datacommunication signal, and to provide access (e.g. via the standardservice connector) to the service.

The apparatus may be integrated into an outlet. The outlet may betelephone outlet, CATV outlet or power outlet relating to using therespective telephone, CATV and power wiring as the network medium.

The telephone service may be a mobile telephone service, such aswireless or cellular telephone network. In such a case, an associatedadapter is required to access the telephone service. In one embodiment,a mobile or cellular telephone set is used to communicate with therespective mobile or cellular telephone network. The mobile (orcellular) telephone set can be a detachable device, allowing the userthe option to use it as a mobile unit or as access to the disclosedsystem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is herein described, by way of non-limiting example only,with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a prior art in-house telephone installation havingdaisy-chain topology.

FIG. 2 shows a prior art in-house PBX-based telephone installation.

FIG. 3 shows a prior art POTS multiplexer (DLC) system.

FIG. 4 shows a prior art telephone system allowing for distributingmultiple telephone lines to multiple telephone sets using minimumcables.

FIG. 5 shows a general prior-art VoIP network connected to a PSTN.

FIG. 6 shows a general prior-art VoIP network connected to a PSTN andusing POTS telephone sets.

FIG. 7 shows a general prior-art structure-wiring Ethernet based VoIPnetwork connected to a PSTN and using POTS telephone sets.

FIG. 8 shows a prior-art power lines based VoIP network connected to aPSTN and using POTS telephone sets.

FIG. 9 shows a prior art in-house PBX-based telephone installationconnected to both PSTN and CATV network.

FIG. 10 shows a general VoIP network according to the present inventionconnected to PSTN and CATV networks.

FIG. 11 shows a structure-wiring Ethernet based VoIP network accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows a power lines based VoIP network according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 13 shows a phone lines based VoIP network according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 14 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network according tothe present invention.

FIG. 15 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network according tothe present invention, wherein the outlet further allows for IPtelephone connection.

FIG. 16 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network according tothe present invention, wherein the outlet further allows for POTStelephone connection.

FIG. 17 shows an outlet and phone lines based VoIP network according tothe present invention, wherein the outlet further allows for POTStelephone connection and includes IP-PBX functionality.

FIG. 18 shows a telephone outlet according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 a shows a pictorial view of an outlet according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 19 shows a telephone outlet according to the present inventionfurther allowing for non-IP telephone connection.

FIG. 20 shows a general outlet according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 shows a general VoIP network according to the present inventionconnected to PSTN and cellular networks.

FIG. 22 shows a telephone outlet according to the present inventioncomprising cellular adapter.

FIG. 23 shows a general VoIP network according to the present inventionconnected to the cellular network via cellular telephone.

FIG. 24 shows a telephone outlet according to the present inventioncomprising cellular phone adapter.

FIG. 25 a shows a pictorial view of an outlet according to the presentinvention having cellular telephone adapter and detached cellulartelephone.

FIG. 25 b shows a pictorial view of an outlet according to the presentinvention having cellular telephone adapter and cellular telephoneattached thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The principles and operation of a network and system according to thepresent invention may be understood with reference to the drawings andthe accompanying description. Many of the systems that are describedbelow are based on the networks described above with reference to FIGS.1 to 9 of the drawings, which in some cases show systems comprising morethan one interconnected network. In the following description the term“system” is used to denote a composite network based on theinterconnection of more than one network. In such a system, thecomponent networks can themselves be composite networks. To this extent,the terms “network” and “system” are used interchangeably. The drawingsand descriptions are conceptual only. In actual practice, a singlecomponent can implement one or more functions; alternatively, eachfunction can be implemented by a plurality of components and circuits.In the drawings and descriptions, identical reference numerals indicatethose components that are common to different embodiments orconfigurations.

The principle of the invention is shown as system 100 in FIG. 10. System100 shown is based on the network 60 in FIG. 6. The network 60 ismodified to include an additional incoming telephone line from a CATVnetwork 91 via a VoIP gateway 55 b. It should be noted that the incomingtelephone line from the VoIP gateway 55 a and the data signalrepresenting the incoming telephone line from the VoIP gateway 55 b areconnected to the network at distinct and different points, and each ofthe above-mentioned incoming telephone lines connects to a distinct anddifferent device in the network. The telephone associated packets in thenetwork are routed and managed by the IP-PBX 52 to allow full voiceconnectivity, allowing for incoming telephone calls from the PSTN 11 andCATV network 91 to be routed to any of the telephone sets 17 a, 17 b and54 a as required, as well as forwarding outgoing calls from thetelephone sets to the two external networks as required.

A system according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown inFIG. 11. The system 110 is basically similar to the prior-art network70. However, CATV network 91 is added providing an additional telephoneline, whose signal is converted to a digital form by a VoIP gateway 55b. The VoIP gateway 55 b connects to the network by outlet 72 d, whichin turn connects to the switch 71 via cable 73 d. The IP-PBX 52 servesas a router for routing telephone calls between the PSTN 11, CATVnetwork 91, IP Telephone 54 a and POTS sets 17 a and 17 b. It should benoted that CATV network 91, via its respective VoIP gateway 55 b,connects additional external telephone lines to the network 110, andconnects to the network via outlet 72 d, being a distinct and differentpoint of connection from the PSTN 11. Furthermore, each of the aboveexternal networks: PSTN 11 and CATV network 91 each is connected to adistinct respective VoIP gateway device 55 a or 55 b.

As can be demonstrated in FIG. 11, while the PSTN 11 is coupled toswitch 71 via VoIP gateway 55 a, the CATV network 91 is coupled to thenetwork wiring 73 d via outlet 72 d, being distinct and different pointof the network medium. Furthermore, while PSTN 11 connects to VoIPgateway 55 a, the CATV network 91 connects to VoIP Gateway 55 b, whichmay be a distinct and different device.

While system 110 is based on dedicated wiring as the networking medium,the invention can be equally applied to home networking using existingin-house wiring. Such a network 120 is shown in FIG. 12 and is based onthe powerline-based network 80 of FIG. 8. While network 80 connectssolely to the external PSTN 11, system 120 allows for the addition ofthe CATV network 91 as a source for an external telephone line. VoIPGateway 55 b converts the telephone signal carried by the CATV network91 to digital IP based signal, which in turn connects to the powerlinemedium 81 via PLC modem 82 f. In this case, the IP network 53 of system100 is implemented by the powerline medium 81 together with the multiplePLC modems 82 connected thereto.

As can be seen in FIG. 12, while the PSTN 11 is coupled to the networkmedium 81 outlet 88 e via PLC modem 82 e and VoIP gateway 55 a, the CATVnetwork 91 is coupled to the network wiring 81 via outlet 88 f,constituting a distinct and different point of the network medium.Furthermore, while PSTN 11 connects to VoIP gateway 55 a, the CATVnetwork 91 connects to VoIP Gateway 55 b and PLC modem 82 f, which maybe distinct and different devices.

An additional embodiment of the invention over an in-house wiring IPnetwork is shown as system 130 in FIG. 13. While the system 130 shown issimilar in its configuration to system 120, system 130 uses telephonewiring 89 (rather than powerlines 81) as the communication medium. Inorder to allow such networking all PLC modems 82 of system 120 aresubstituted with PNC (PhoNe wiring Communication) modems 132. Examplesof PNC 132 are model TH102-A 10+ Mbps Home Phoneline to EthernetConverter from Compex Inc, of Anaheim, Calif. USA and based onHomePNA2.0 and Model HG-101B Ethernet to 1 Mbps HomePNA Converter fromNetronix Inc. of HsinChu, Taiwan. Such modems are known in the art tocarry data communication signals over the telephone line withoutinterfering with the POTS telephone signal carried over the same wiresusing the lower spectrum. The telephone wiring 89 can be configured inthree distinct options:

Not carrying any POTS signals. In this configuration, the telephonewiring used for the data networking is not used for carrying any analogPOTS signal. This can be the case wherein multiple pairs are available,and one is selected solely for the data communication purpose.

Carrying PSTN originated POTS signal. In this installation, thetelephone pair 89 is used to also carry PSTN 11 originated POTStelephony signal as shown in FIG. 14. The same telephone line can alsobe connected to the VoIP gateway 55 a to be carried in a digital formwithin the network. This configuration can support ‘life-line’functionality, wherein the basic telephone service is required to existeven in the case of power outage.

Carrying non-PSTN originated POTS signal. Similar to (b), POTS signal isalso carried over the telephone pair 89. However, such telephone serviceis originated from a source other than the PSTN 11. Any POTS telephoneline can use the pair 89, and in particular the POTS line originated byCATV network 91, as shown in FIG. 15.

As can be seen in FIG. 13, while the PSTN 11 is coupled to the networkmedium 89 outlet 83 e via PNC modem 132 e and VoIP gateway 55 a, theCATV network 91 is coupled to the network wiring 89 via outlet 83 f,being a distinct and different point of the network medium. Furthermore,while PSTN 11 connects to VoIP gateway 55 a, the CATV network 91connects to VoIP Gateway 55 b and PNC modem 132 f, which may be distinctand different devices.

While systems 120 and 130 in FIGS. 12 and 13, respectively describepowerline and phone line based home networks respectively, it should beappreciated that the invention can be equally applied to any other typeof home network, such as CATV coaxial based and non-wired systems. Forexample, in the case of using CATV coaxial cable as the communicationmedium, the powerline 81 will be replaced with the coaxial cable, andthe PLC modems 82 will be substituted with equivalent coaxial cablemodems. Similarly, for the case of wireless home network, the PLC modems82 will be substituted with Radio Frequency transceivers. As such, anyreference to a PNC modem 132 and telephone wire pair 89 hereinafter willbe understood to represent any other networking technology and medium.

Outlet

In order to save space, cost and to allow easy installation andoperation it is commonly advised to integrate multiple functions into asingle device. Specifically relating to system 130, the VoIP Gateway 55b and the PNC modem 132 f may be integrated into a device designated asCATV adapter 133 shown in FIG. 13. Such an adapter 133 supports one portfor connection to a telephone line originated in the CATV network 91,and the other port connects to the telephone wire pair 89 via outlet 83f. Further savings in space, cost and complexity can be achieved byintegrating functions into a telephone outlet. Such a structure isillustrated in system 140 of FIG. 14, wherein the CATV adapter 133 isintegrated to compose telephone outlet 141. The outlet 141 connects tothe telephone wiring 89 in a way similar to connecting any outlet to thewiring, and has a port 142 for connection to CATV network 91, preferablyon the faceplate of the outlet. Outlet 141 supports single external port142, and hence offers limited functionality.

An improved outlet 151, supporting dual functions, is illustrated inFIG. 15 as part of system 150. Rather than direct connection between theVoIP gateway 55 b and the PNC modem 132 f of outlet 141, outlet 151provides a switch unit 71 a in between the gateway 55 b and the modem132 f. The switch 71 a represents any multi-port networking unit, suchas a hub, switched hub or router. Two of the ports are used to allow forconnection of the gateway 55 b to the PNC modem 132 f, thus preservingthe functionality of outlet 141. However, additional port is used forconnecting external units to the network via connection 152. In system150, the port 152 is used to connect an IP telephone 54 b to the IPnetwork, in addition to its role of connectivity to CATV network 91.Similarly, outlet 161, shown as part of system 160 in FIG. 16, supportsconnection of a POTS telephone set 17 c rather than IP telephone set 54b of outlet 151. A VoIP MTA 64 c is added between a dedicated port 162and the switch 71 a, allowing for connection of the analog set 17 c tothe IP network. In another embodiment according to the invention, anoutlet 171 shown as part of system 170 in FIG. 17 also comprises IP-PBX52 a functionality, obviating the need for a distinct device 52 (alongwith its associated PNC modem 132 d). As such, outlet 180 provide fourdistinct functionalities: incoming telephone line connection 142, POTStelephone set connection 162, IP telephone set connection 152 and IP-PBXfunction 52 a. According to the present invention, any one or more ofthe above four functions can be implemented in an outlet.

An outlet 180 comprising all above outlet functionalities is shown inFIG. 18. The outlet is coupled to the telephone wiring via connector183, which connects to the switch 71 b via PNC modem 132 f. The outlet180 provides three distinct ports. Port 142 serves for connection toincoming POTS telephone service, preferably via the CATV network 91, andis coupled to the switch 71 b via VoIP gateway 55 b. Port 162 serves forconnection to a POTS telephone set 17, and is coupled to the switch 71 bvia VoIP MTA 64 c. Port 152 constitutes a data connector that isdirectly connected to the switch 71 b and allows for connection of an IPtelephone 54. In addition, the outlet 180 comprises an IP-PBXfunctionality 52 a.

A pictorial view of a telephone outlet 180 is shown in FIG. 18 a. Thegeneral shape of the outlet fits as a substitute for existing telephoneoutlets in North-America, and uses screws 181 a and 181 b to fasten theoutlet to a wall fixture. A RJ-45 connector, commonly used for10/100BaseT IEEE802.3 interfaces, is used as port 152, and RJ-11 jacks,commonly used for POTS telephony, are used for ports 142 and 162.

As explained above, the telephone wire pair can also be used to carryanalog POTS telephone in the lower part of the frequency spectrum, inaddition to serving as a medium for the data network. Outlet 180described above does not provide any access to such POTS signal. Inorder to couple to this signal, outlet 180 should be modified to outlet190 shown in FIG. 19. Such an outlet 190 comprises all the functions ofoutlet 180. However, the PNC modem 132 f is not directly connected tothe telephone wire pair via port 183, but rather via a high pass filter(HPF) 191, allowing passing of a signals above the POTS telephonyspectrum. A low pass filter (LPF) 192 is added, also connected to thetelephone wiring port 183. Such LPF 192 allows only the POTS telephonysignal to pass through to port 193. In a basic embodiment, HPF 191 isimplemented as an in-series capacitor and LPF 192 is implemented as anin-series connected inductor. This set 194 of filters HPF 191 and LPF192 serves as coupling unit and is known to allow carrying of both POTStelephony and digital data signals over the telephone wire pair. A POTStelephone set 17 can be connected to the POTS telephone service via port193. Furthermore, the POTS connection can be used for ‘life-line’ usingswitches (relays) known in the art, which routes the POTS signal intoport 162 in the case of power outage or any other lack of telephoneservice availability through port 162.

In the case wherein the medium used for data networking is other thantelephone wiring, the PNC modem 132 f, the coupling unit 194 and theconnector 193 should be modified accordingly. For example, in the caseof powerline as the networking medium, the PNC modem 132 f should besubstituted with PLC modem 82 and the filters in the coupling unit 194should be modified to pass the power mains (60 Hz in North America, 50Hz in Europe) to a power socket that replaces the telephone connector193. Similarly, the HPF 191 should be substituted with HPF operative topass the data signals but block the power mains signal. In the case ofcoaxial cable medium, other set of filters (such as Band Pass FilterBPF) may be used.

A general schematic structure of an outlet 200 supporting dual servicewiring is shown in FIG. 20, coupled to a wiring via port 204. Theregular service signal, being POTS telephony, mains power, CATV or anyother signal is conveyed via the service splitter 203 to the standardservice socket 202, being telephone, power or CATV connectedrespectively. A modem 201 adapted for use with the medium of choice(e.g. PNC modem 132 f) supports transmission over the wiring, and iscoupled to the wiring connection 204 (e.g. in-wall telephone wiringconnection 183) via the service splitter 203 (e.g. coupling unit 194).The service splitter 203 is operative to allow the two signals to beconveyed over the wiring with minimum interference with each other.

While the above outlet description related to existing in-home wiring,the invention can be equally applied to ‘structured-wiring’ networkssuch as network 110 of FIG. 11. In such a configuration, outlet 72 willbe modified to comprise VoIP gateway 55 b. In addition, VoIP MTA 64,switch 71 (if required) and IP-PBX 52 functionalities can also beintegrated into the outlet. In general, outlet 180 applies to such aconfiguration with the exception of obviating the need for PNC modem 132f, since the wiring can be directly connected to the in-outlet switch.

Cellular

The system 100 in FIG. 10 according to the invention involves externaltelephone line originated via CATV network 91. However, it is apparentthat the invention equally applies to any telephone line connection topremises, either terrestrial or via the air. The cellular network inknown to carry telephone calls over the air to cellular telephones. Assuch, the cellular network can also be the originating network of thetelephone line, as shown in FIG. 21 describing network 210 as asubstitute to the CATV network 91 of system 100 the cellular network 213is used. The coupling to such a network 213 usually requires antenna211, connected to a cellular adapter 212. Such adapters are known in theart to provide POTS telephone line originated by the cellular network213. This POTS telephone line is converted to digital by the VoIPGateway 55 b and connects to the network 53. Other non-limiting examplesof non-wired networks can be based on infrared and Radio Frequency, suchas IEEE802.11, LMDS, MMDS, satellite or Bluetooth.

In general, any of the outlets described above equally applies to suchscenario, just by coupling the cellular adapter 212 to port 142 of therelevant outlet. However, in such case it will be appreciated that thereis benefit in integrating the cellular adapter 212 and the antenna 211into the outlet, obviating the need for external and stand-alonedevices. Such outlet 220 is shown in FIG. 22.

As an alternative to the cellular adapter 212 and the antenna 211, astandard cellular telephone 241 together with known in the art cellularphone adapter 242 can be used in order to access the cellular network,as shown in network 240 in FIG. 23. An example of cellular phone adapter242 is CellSocket™ from WHP Wireless, Inc. of Melville, N.Y., USA.

In another embodiment of the present invention referring to network 240,the outlet 250 shown in FIG. 24 comprises the cellular phone adapter242, and provides a port 251 for connection to the cellular telephone241. While the connection between the telephone 241 and port 251 ofoutlet 250 can use a cable, in a preferred embodiment the cellulartelephone 241 can plug-in both mechanically and electronically to anoutlet. This configuration, shown in FIG. 24, allows for the cellulartelephone 241 user to choose between either carrying it and utilizingits mobility or plugging it into the outlet. In the latter case, anincoming telephone call can be routed via the network 53 to one or moreof the non-mobile telephone sets connected to the network. A pictorialview of outlet 250 is shown in FIGS. 25 a and 25 b. The outlet 250 shownis based on outlet 180 shown in FIG. 18 a, wherein a cradle adapter 251is added, comprising a mechanical cradle adapter and electricalconnector for housing, securing and connecting to cellular telephone 241shown. FIG. 25 a shows the cellular telephone 241 detached from theoutlet 250, while FIG. 25 b shows the cellular telephone 241 insertedinto the outlet 250.

Although the invention has been so far described as relating toEthernet/IP-based home networking, the invention can be similarlyapplied to any type of data network. Furthermore, although packetnetworks are the most common for local area networks and wide areanetworks, the invention is not restricted to packet networks only, andcan be applied to any digital data network, where network entities areidentified uniquely by addresses.

Furthermore, although the invention has been described as relating tonetworks based on continuous electrical conducting medium (telephone,CATV, or electrical power), and the relevant modem and associatedcircuitry are connected in parallel to the wiring infrastructure, theinvention can be applied equally to the case wherein the wiring is notcontinuous, but is in discrete segments. Such an arrangement isdisclosed in WO 0007322 published Feb. 10, 2000 and entitled “Local AreaNetwork of Serial Intelligent Cells” in the name of the present inventorand assigned to the present assignee, which is incorporated by referencefor all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

While the invention has been described with respect to a home network,it will be appreciated that the invention equally applies to anyin-house network connected to an external network. Local area networks(LAN) within offices, factories or enterprises can equally use theinvention.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations,modifications, derivatives, combinations and other applications of theinvention may be made.

1. A system in a building for connecting a telephone set to an InternetProtocol (IP)-based telephone network other than a Public SwitchedTelephone Network (PSTN) via a home network, for use with a PSTNsuitable for providing Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), the PSTNbeing operated by a first telephone service provider and comprising alocal loop connecting the building to the PSTN, the IP-Based telephoneservice network being external to the building for carrying Voice overIP (VoIP) packets and being operated by a second telephone serviceprovider different from said first telephone service provider, saidsystem comprising: an AC power wiring that forms a part of the homenetwork, is at least in part in walls of the building, and is accessibleat an outlet cavity or outlet opening, said AC power wiring beingconnected to carry an AC power signal at an AC power frequency and toconcurrently carry a digital data signal in a digital data frequencyband that is distinct from and higher than, the AC power frequency, thedigital data signal containing one or more digitized telephone signals;a gateway connected to said AC power wiring at a first connection point,said gateway being couplable to the PSTN and to the IP-Based telephoneservice network, said gateway being operative to pass a first one of thedigitized telephone signals between the IP-Based telephone servicenetwork and said AC power wiring and to pass a second one of thedigitized telephone signals between the PSTN and said AC power wiring;and a first adapter housed in a single enclosure connected to said ACpower wiring at a second connection point distinct from said firstconnection point and connectable to a first analog telephone set, saidfirst adapter being operative for converting between analog and digitaltelephone signals and for coupling one of the first and second ones ofthe digitized telephone signals carried over said AC power wiring to thefirst analog telephone set.
 2. The system according to claim 1, furthercomprising a second adapter connected to said AC power wiring at a thirdconnection point distinct from said first and second connection pointsand connectable to a second telephone set, said second adapter beingoperative for converting between analog and digital telephone signalsand for coupling a digitized telephone signal carried over said AC powerwiring to the second telephone set.
 3. The system according to claim 1,wherein said first adapter is further operative to couple a seconddigitized telephone signal contained in the digital data signal carriedover said AC power wiring to a second telephone set.
 4. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the digital data signal to be carried oversaid AC power wiring substantially conforms to HomePLUG specifications.5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the local loop is connectedfor carrying a Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) signal.
 6. The systemaccording to claim 5, wherein the DSL signal is an ADSL signal.
 7. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein the IP-Based telephone servicenetwork is concurrently a cable television (CATV) network for deliveringvideo and comprises coaxial cabling.
 8. The system according to claim 1,wherein the IP-Based telephone service network is coupled to the gatewayover the air via satellite.
 9. The system according to claim 1, whereinthe IP-Based telephone service network is connected to conductcommunications over power lines.
 10. The system according to claim 1,wherein the IP-Based telephone service network is coupled to the gatewayover the air using radio frequency signals.
 11. The system according toclaim 10, wherein the IP-Based telephone service network is based on oneof the following protocols: cellular; LMDS; MMDS; IEEE802.11; andBluetooth.
 12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IP-Basedtelephone service network is connected to conduct communications overfibers.
 13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the IP-Basedtelephone service network is connected to the gateway over a fiber usingFiber To The Home (FTTH) technology.
 14. The system according to claim1, wherein the IP-based telephone network or the telephone serviceprovided by the second telephone service provider is based on one ormore of: Session Initiation Protocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; Media GatewayControl Protocol (MGCP); ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; and any variantthereof.
 15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system isfurther connectable to multiple telephone sets, and said system furtherprovides an IP-PBX functionality for routing telephone calls between themultiple telephone sets and external telephone service connections. 16.The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is furtheroperative to convert between a digitized telephone signal carried overthe IP-Based telephone service network and a POTS signal.
 17. The systemaccording to claim 1 wherein said single enclosure is mountable into theoutlet cavity or outlet opening.
 18. The system according to claim 1,wherein said single enclosure is constructed to have at least one of thefollowing: a form substantially similar to that of a standard AC poweroutlet; wall mounting elements substantially similar to those of astandard AC power wall outlet; a shape allowing direct mounting in an ACpower outlet opening or cavity; and a form to at least in partsubstitute for a standard AC power outlet.
 19. The system according toclaim 1, wherein said first adapter is pluggable into an existing ACpower outlet.
 20. A device for coupling a digitized telephone signalcarried over an existing AC power wiring to an analog telephone set, theAC power wiring being at least in part in walls of a building and beingaccessible at an outlet cavity or outlet opening, and the AC powerwiring being coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) via alocal loop, the PSTN being suitable for providing Plain Old TelephoneService (POTS) and being operated by a first telephone service provider,the AC power wiring further being connected to carry an AC power signalat an AC power frequency and for concurrently carrying a digital datasignal in a digital data frequency band that is distinct from, andhigher than, the AC power frequency, the digital data signal containingone or more digitized telephone signals coupled to an IP-Based telephoneservice network external to the building and connected for carryingVoice over IP (VoIP) packets, the IP-Based telephone service networkbeing operated by a second telephone service provider different from thefirst telephone service provider, said device comprising: an AC powerplug for connecting to the AC power wiring; a powerline modem operablefor bidirectional digital data communication with one or more additionalmodems of the same type as said powerline modem over the AC powerwiring; a high pass filter coupled between said powerline modem and saidAC power plug for substantially passing only signals in the digital datafrequency band; a telephone connector for connecting to the analogtelephone set; a unit coupled to pass a digitized telephone signalbetween said telephone connector and said powerline modem; a converterfor converting between analog and digital telephony signals coupledbetween said telephone connector and said unit; and a single enclosurein the building housing said powerline modem, said high pass filter,said telephone connector, said unit and said converter, wherein saiddevice is operative to connect the telephone set to a telephone serviceprovided by the second telephone service provider.
 21. The deviceaccording to claim 20, wherein the AC power wiring is connected tofurther carry a second digitized telephone signal, and said device isfurther operative to couple the second digitized telephone signalcarried over the AC power wiring to a second telephone set.
 22. Thedevice according to claim 21, further being connectable to multipletelephone sets, said device further providing an IP-PBX functionalityfor routing telephone calls between the multiple telephone sets andexternal telephone service connections.
 23. The device according toclaim 20, wherein the digital data signal carried over the AC powerwiring substantially conforms to HomePLUG specifications, and saidtelephone line modem is a HomePLUG modem.
 24. The device according toclaim 20, wherein the IP-based telephone network or the telephoneservice provided by the second telephone service provider is based onone or more of: Session Initiation Protocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; MediaGateway Control Protocol (MGCP); ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; and anyvariant thereof.
 25. The device according to claim 20, wherein saidsingle enclosure is mountable into the outlet cavity or outlet opening.26. The device according to claim 20, wherein said single enclosure isconstructed to have at least one of the following: a form substantiallysimilar to that of a standard AC power outlet; wall mounting elementssubstantially similar to those of a standard AC power wall outlet; ashape allowing direct mounting in a AC power outlet opening or cavity;and a form to at least in part substitute for a standard AC poweroutlet.
 27. The device according to claim 20, wherein said device ispluggable into an existing AC power outlet.
 28. Apparatus in a buildingfor connecting a telephone set in the building to an Internet Protocol(IP)-Based telephone service network other than a Public SwitchedTelephone Network (PSTN) via a home network that includes an AC powerwiring, for use with a PSTN suitable for providing Plain Old TelephoneService (POTS), the PSTN being operated by a first telephone serviceprovider and comprising a local loop connected to the building, theIP-Based telephone service network being external to the building, beingconnected for carrying one or more digitized Voice over IP (VoIP)telephone signals and being operated by a second telephone serviceprovider different from the first telephone service provider, the ACpower wiring being at least in part in walls of the building and beingaccessible at an outlet cavity or outlet opening, and being connectedfor carrying an AC power signal at an AC power frequency and forconcurrently carrying a digital data signal in a digital data frequencyband that is distinct from, and higher than, the AC power frequency, andthe digital data signal containing one or more digitized VoIP telephonesignals, said apparatus comprising: an AC power plug for connecting tothe AC power wiring in the building; a powerline modem coupled to saidAC power plug for transmitting digital data to, and receiving digit datafrom, the AC power wiring; a port adapted to be connected to theIP-Based telephone service network external to the building and to becoupled to one or more digitized telephone signals; a connector forconnection to the PSTN, the connector being connected to said powerlinemodern for passing PSTN signals between the PSTN and said powerlinemodem; and a second modern coupled to said port for transmitting digitaldata to, and receiving digital data from, the IP-Based telephone servicenetwork. wherein: said powerline modem and said second modem areconnected together for passing digital data therebetween, and saidapparatus is operative to pass the one or more digitized telephonesignals between the IP-Based telephone service network and the AC powerwiring.
 29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the digitaldata signal carried over the AC power wiring substantially conforms toHomePLUG specifications.
 30. The apparatus according to claim 28,wherein the local loop is connected for carrying a Digital SubscriberLoop (DSL) signal.
 31. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein theIP-Based telephone service network is concurrently a cable television(CATV) network for delivering video and comprises coaxial cabling. 32.The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the IP-Based telephoneservice network is connected to conduct communications via satellite.33. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the IP-Based telephoneservice network is connected to conduct communications over powerlines.34. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said IP-Based telephoneservice network is connected to conduct communications using radiofrequency signals.
 35. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein theIP-Based telephone service network is based on one of the followingprotocols: cellular; LMDS; MMDS; IEEE802.11; and Bluetooth.
 36. Theapparatus according to claim 28, wherein the IP-Based telephone servicenetwork is connected to conduct communications over fibers.
 37. Theapparatus according to claim 36, wherein the IP-Based telephone servicenetwork is connected to conduct communications based on Fiber To TheHome (FTTH) technology.
 38. The apparatus according to claim 28, whereinthe IP-based telephone network or the telephone service provided by thesecond telephone service provider is based on one or more of: SessionInitiation Protocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; Media Gateway Control Protocol(MGCP); ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; and any variant thereof.
 39. Theapparatus according to claim 28, further being connectable to multipletelephone sets, said apparatus being operable to further provide anIP-PBX functionality for routing telephone calls between the multipletelephone sets and external telephone service connections.
 40. Theapparatus according to claim 28, wherein said apparatus is wallmountable.
 41. A system for connecting an analog telephone set in abuilding to multiple Internet Protocol (IP)-based telephone networksexternal to the building via a home network, said system comprising: afirst IP-Based telephone service network external to the building andconnected for carrying at least a first digitized telephone signal inVoice over IP (VoIP) packets and operated by a first telephone serviceprovider; a second distinct IP-Based telephone service network externalto the building and connected for carrying at least a second digitizedtelephone signal in Voice over IP (VoIP) packets and operated by asecond telephone service provider different from the first telephoneservice provider; an AC power wiring that forms a part of the homenetwork and that is at least in part in walls of the building and isaccessible at an outlet cavity or outlet opening, the AC power wiringbeing coupled to said first and second IP-Based telephone servicenetworks for concurrently carrying the first and second digitizedtelephone signals, said AC power wiring being connected to additionallycarry an AC power signal having an AC power frequency and toconcurrently carry a digital data signal in a digital data frequencyband that is distinct from, and higher than, the AC power frequency; anda first adapter housed in a single enclosure and connected to said ACpower wiring and connectable to the analog telephone set, said firstadapter being operative for converting between analog and digitizedtelephone signals and to couple first analog signals obtained byconversion the first digitized telephone signal carried over said ACpower wiring to the analog telephone set and to couple second analogsignals obtained by conversion of the second digitized telephone signalcarried over said AC power wiring to the analog telephone set.
 42. Thesystem according to claim 41, further comprising a gateway housed in asecond single enclosure and connected to said AC power wiring at a firstconnection point, said gateway being coupled to said first and secondIP-Based telephone service networks and being operative to pass thefirst and second digitized telephone signals between the first andsecond IP-Based telephone service networks and said AC power wiring. 43.The system according to claim 42, wherein said gateway is furtheroperative to convert between a digitized telephone signal carried oversaid first IP-Based telephone service network and a Plain Old TelephoneService (POTS) signal.
 44. The system according to claim 41, furthercomprising a second adapter connected to said AC power wiring andconnectable to a second telephone set, said second adapter beingoperative for converting between analog and digital telephone signalsand to couple the second digitized telephone signal carried over said ACpower wiring to the second telephone set.
 45. The system according toclaim 41, wherein the digital data signal to be carried over said ACpower wiring substantially conforms to HomePLUG specifications.
 46. Thesystem according to claim 41, wherein one of said first and secondIP-Based telephone service networks connects to the building over alocal loop that is connected for carrying a Digital Subscriber Loop(DSL) signal.
 47. The system according to claim 46, wherein the DSLsignal is an ADSL signal.
 48. The system according to claim 41, whereinat least one of said first and second IP-Based telephone servicenetworks is concurrently a cable television (CATV) network fordelivering video and comprises coaxial cabling.
 49. The system accordingto claim 41, wherein at least one of said first and second IP-Basedtelephone service networks is connected to conduct communications viasatellite.
 50. The system according to claim 41, wherein at least one ofsaid first and second IP-Based telephone service networks is connectedto conduct communications over power lines.
 51. The system according toclaim 41, wherein at least one of said first and second IP-Basedtelephone service networks is connected to conduct communications withradio frequency signals.
 52. The system according to claim 51, whereinsaid at least one of said IP-Based telephone service networks is basedon one of the following protocols: cellular; LMDS; MMDS; IEEE802.11; andBluetooth.
 53. The system according to claim 41, wherein at least one ofsaid first and second IP-Based telephone service networks is connectedto conduct communications over fibers.
 54. The system according to claim53, wherein said at least one of said first and second IP-Basedtelephone service networks is connected to conduct communications basedon Fiber To The Home (FTTH) technology.
 55. The system according toclaim 41, wherein at least one of the first and second digitizedtelephone signals is based on one or more of: Session InitiationProtocol (SIP); IETF RFC 3261; Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP);ITU-T H.323; IETF RFC 2705; and any variant thereof.
 56. The systemaccording to claim 41, wherein said system is further connectable tomultiple telephone sets, and said system further provides an IP-PBXfunctionality for routing telephone calls between the multiple telephonesets and external telephone service connections.
 57. The systemaccording to claim 41 wherein said single enclosure is mountable intothe outlet cavity or outlet opening.
 58. The system according to claim41, wherein said single enclosure is constructed to have at least one ofthe following: a form substantially similar to that of a standard ACpower outlet; wall mounting elements substantially similar to those of astandard AC power wall outlet; a shape allowing direct mounting in atelephone outlet opening or cavity; and a form to at least in partsubstitute for a standard AC power outlet.
 59. The system according toclaim 41, wherein said first adapter is pluggable into an existing ACpower outlet.
 60. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gatewayis configured to pass the first one and the second one of the digitizedtelephone signals simultaneously.
 61. The apparatus according to claim28, wherein said powerline modem is operative to pass both the PSTNsignals and the digital data simultaneously.